Abstract
This chapter first explains why the State of Israel per se is a problematic topic in the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. It then recounts Levinas' contradictory position toward the State of Israel by analyzing his reading of tractate Sotah 34b–35a, “Promised Land or Permitted Land?” which focuses on the reactions of the spies sent out by Moses to scout the land of Canaan in Numbers 13–14. Finally, it shows that Levinas' position on the State of Israel provides a better understanding of his philosophy in general, and of the political challenges of renewed Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Gift of the Land and the Fate of the Canaanites in Jewish Thought |
| Editors | Katell Berthelot, Joseph E. David, Marc Hirshman |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Chapter | 20 |
| Pages | 445-455 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Volume | New York |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199959808 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2014 |